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Dental Implants
Only your dentist knows for sure
Dental implants are “the next best thing to buttered popcorn,” claims Frank Winay, 72, Troy resident and retired business owner.
He had all of his teeth replaced with implants in 1990. “I was a heavy smoker, and my teeth were kind of bad,” he says. Winay’s dentist, Tim Kosinski, D.D.S., told him he was likely to keep his teeth only another 10 or 12 years. Winay told him, “Pull ’em out and put the implants in.”
Today, he says, “I can eat anything: carrots, peanuts, bites out of apples. They’re just like my own teeth.”
TOOTH LOSS IS DOWN, BUT NOT DEFEATED
Tooth loss has declined dramatically in recent decades, according to the American Dental Association (ADA). Since 1960, the incidence of toothlessness has decreased by 60 percent among 55-to 64-year-olds.
Still, tooth loss happens. “One of the most common reasons is gum disease,” says Stephen J. Minns, D.D.S., a Novi dentist. “Other common reasons are cavities and tooth fractures.”
While bridges and dentures are traditional solutions to tooth loss, an ADA survey found that between 1995 and 1999, the number of surgically placed dental implants increased by 49 percent in the U.S. “The technology and science are better,” explains Kosinski, who practices implant dentistry in Bingham Farms. “We’ve improved our techniques and ability to predictably place implants better.” He says implants have a 95 percent success rate.
In addition, dental implants are the closest thing to real teeth. “I can’t feel the difference,” says retired teacher Janet Campbell, 72, of Plymouth, a dental implant recipient. ‘I don’t know which ones are the implants, unless I count back.”
WHAT EXACTLY IS A DENTAL IMPLANT?
The implant itself looks a little like a screw. The dentist embeds it into the jaw, leaving the top slightly higher than the jawbone. He or she then stitches the gum tissue over the implant. The implant may take two to six months to integrate with the jawbone. During this time, the patient is given a partial, temporary denture.
Once this fusion is complete, the gum tissue is opened up again. An abutment, or post, is placed on the implant, and gum tissue is given a week or two to heal around the post. Finally, a synthetic, but natural looking, tooth is attached to the post.
WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS?
Dental implants are an important advance in dentistry, but they’re not for everyone. Before you decide whether they’re right for you, consider the following factors:
• Cost. You may spend from $2,000 to $4,000 for the entire procedure – including the original tooth extraction – for a single implant. This procedure is not always covered by dental insurance plans. “It’s more expensive than any restoration we do in dentistry,” Minns says.
• Time. It can take several months to complete the procedure, although in some situations, Kosinski says, a tooth can be placed the day of the surgery. “I’m an impatient person, and I would love to have had [Kosinski] plop that thing in my jaw and put the tooth on it, and then I’m done the same day,” says Campbell. “But I understand it has to grow in, because if it doesn’t, it won’t be firm.”
In certain cases, bone may be grafted from another part of the body, such as the hip, onto the jawbone.
• Smoking. Winay finally quit smoking in 1990 because Kosinski wouldn’t do the implants otherwise. Today, Kosinski is willing to work on smokers, but he does void his usual guarantee. “Smokers can really decrease our success rate by 60 percent,” Kosinski says. “That’s because of the tar and nicotine, the smoke, and the heat generated from a pipe or cigarette, especially during that initial healing phase.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
Dental implants appear to be a long-term solution to tooth loss, as long as you avoid smoking, keep the area clean, maintain your health and see your dentist on a regular basis. On the other hand, implants are a significant investment of time and money, so talk to your dentist and get all the facts before you make your decision.